Railroad tie-plate.



J. E. MUHLPELD.

RAILROAD TIE PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1907.

909,443. Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

vol. the constructions JOHN E. MUHLFELD, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

RAILROAD TIE-PLATE.

Specification of Lettera Patent:

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application led June 21, 1907. Serial No. 380,033.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. MUHLFELD, a citizen of the United States, rcsidinrr in Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, thave invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad Tic-Plates, ol' which thc followingr is a specification.

My invention relates to ii'nproveinents in track rail tie-plates for railroads.

In the practical use of track rail tieplates heretofore generally employed, much trouble and difficulty are experienced from the fact that the side thrust of the train on the rails exerts a cutting or shearing strain upon the spike which passes through the comparatively thin tie-plate and which isthus shearinvly embraced between the metal of the tie-p ate at the back of the spike and the com aratively narrow edge of the rail ilange on t e opposite side or throat of the spike, sothat in a short time the side thrust of the train on the rails will soon so shear, cut, bend, Wear, break or otherwise distort the s ikes as to cause'them to loosely or imperfect y hold the rails in place on the ties and to pro er gage, thus necessitating much labor an expense for track maintenance.

The object of my invention is to provide a track rail tie-plate of a strong, simple, efficient and durable construction, which may be chea ly manufactured, and by means of which tiie difficulties heretofore experienced may be practically overcome.

My invention consists in the means I employ, as herein shown and described, for prac tically accomplishing this obiect or result. That is to say, it consists in providing the tie--plate adjacent to the spike opening there# in with en integral su plemental su port or reinforcement for the ack of the spi e, preferably on the upper face of the tie-plate and Vthus affording a direct su port for the back of the spike directly opposite or on a line with the edge of the rail flange so that the side thrust of the rail will exert, in connection with the tie-plate, no shearing, bending or breaking action on the spike, and so that the bearinrr of the tie-plate against the back of the spike will be so increased or enlarged as to elfectu ally remedy or prevent troublesome weer of the rail flanges and tie-plates on the spikes.

My invention further consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and in the ings b1 in t e tie-plate,

novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described;

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a vertical cross section through a track rail, tie and tie-plate embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a pers ective view of my improved construction o' tie-plate. Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sections parti and die suita le for use in forming my 1m proved tie-plate. Fig. 5 is avertical crosssection showing my tie-plate When used with a rail brace. Fig. 6 shows a modification.

In the drawing, A represents the rail of a railway track, B my improved construction of tie-plate, C the tie and D the spikes.

The tie-plate B Ais v referably furnished with the customary ongitudinal ribs or flanges b on its und er face, and with openings b1 through which the spikes D are inserted.

In or er to prevent the edge a of the rail flange A1 from exerting, in connection with the tie-plate B, a shearlng or bending action upon the spikes D under side thrust of the train on the rails, and to provide a direct support for the back of the spike against such side thrust directly o posite and inline with the edge of the rail ange so as to cause the tie-plate and spikes to solidly hold and an chor the rails in proper gage and securely to the ties, l provide the tieate B adjacent to the s ike opening b1 therein with an integral supp emental support or reinforcement W for the spike.

The supplemental su port or reinforcement b2 is preferably on he u per face of the tielate and projects upward y, and it is also pre erably furnished with integral side walls 3 engaging the side faces of the spike.

' In the form of my in the drawing, the tie-plate B is represented as being made from a rolled or channel form of plate. My improved tie-plate may, if de'- sired, however, be made of cast instal. When made of rolled, forged or pressed metal, the supplemental supports or reinforcements b2 for the spike are preferably produced integrally with the tie-plate by the sameoperation which unches or forms the spike openthis 'being done by simply employing a punch F and die F* of suitable form for producing the spike support or reinforcement b2 of the desired shape, as illustrated, for example, in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing.

invention as illustrated in elevation showing a punch or under the head thereo `est side thrust thereon from the rail Hangs,

The supplemental support or reinforce-f ment on the tie-plate for the spike, as illusv j trated in the drawing, preferably surrotl f three sides of the spike opening in thrplate, although, if desired, it may be marie to l surround a greater or less number ol sides. l As in my Vimproved construction ol' tie-plate, l the back d of the spike l) has a direct abutment or support against the reinforeei'nent b2, and the side thrust pressure of the rail flange edffe, a, against the throat or front face d* o the spike c:n exert no bending, l breaking or shearing strain against the spike or any strain tending;T to lift the spike from j the tie. And as the bearing Wall b* of the ,l tie-plate against the back of the spike is doubled or greatly increased, I find in practice that the tie-plate exerts no injurious l Wearin action upon the spike. I am'thus l enable by means of my improved construetion of tie-plate to provide the track rail spike with an efficient su port at the throat fpand at the back of j the same to enable it to ell'ectuallv resist the j' pressure of the rail lian e which tends to j end, Wear, shear, cut or reak the spike. l ,l am 4thus enabled to el'ectually overcome danger of spreading of the rails or tie-plates. As in In inventiointhe back of the spike is l provide with a support directly in line with l the edge of the rail ilange, the sidepressure of the rail flange on the s iikes does not tend x to bend the spikes and thus, lift the head of the spike from the rail flange and loosen the rails on the ties.

The tielate B at the outside end thereof,

or the endpthereof which receives the great- 1s made or provided with two s )ike openings l b1, each furnished with a supplemental su port b2 for the back of the spike. At tie l opposite end of the tielate B only one spike opening 1 is ordinari y used. This spike opening b, however, is provided with a similar u wardly projecting sup lemental support 2 to engage the back of t e s ike so that i the spike at this end of the tie-p ate will co- I operate with the two at the other end in resxsting the side thrust of the rail 'flange and consequent spreading of the rails, through the cooperative action of the tie-plate B and its enga ement against the single s ike Dat l this en of the tie-plate, the supp emental su port b projecting above the tie-plate a. Ording an extended bearing of the tie` plate against the spike and preventingV the j the spike, substantiall tie-plate from Wearing, cutting or distorting' the s ike or otherwise loosening or distorting t 1e effect] ve or snug engagement of the parts necesnry yor their effective copera- Non.

The side walls b3 b3 of the upwardly pro jecting spike support b2 fitting under the head l2 ot the spike serve as a collar to supporttbe spike and in eil'eet to shorten the neck or throat portion of the spike which rejects above the upper face of the main We i of the tie-plate li and thus to n'event side thrust of tlu` rail lanfge against the spike fromtendingf to cant the spike and thus loosen the anchor age of the rail on the tie.

rlhe ends or shoulders b5 of the side walls b" may also engage the edgeol' the rail flange and thus aid in preventing spreading of the v rails.

W'hen my tie-plate is used with a rail brace, as shown in Fig. 5, the integral spike support or reinforcement projects on the lower side of the tie-plate and the spike extends through a suitable opening in the flange y o1 the rail brace G.

Where the tie-plate is furnished with an intorn'mdiate rib or flange on its under side in line with the spike openine', as shown in Fig. (i, such rib or llange will form an eX- tended support or reinforeernent for the spike on the under side of' the tie-plate- 1. A trank rail tie-plate B l'laving a spike openingr bl and an integral upwardly projecting support b2 for the back of the spike, said support t having side walls b3, said projeeting support being integral with the tieplate and formed by the metal displaced 1n producing the opening in the tie-plate for the spike, substantially as specified.

2. A railroad tie-plate having a projection on one face thereof adjacent to the spike opening therein and affording a sup lemental bearing' surface and sup ort for t e back of the spike against side t rust of the rail flange, said rojeetion having a back wall enpaging the fitting under the head of the s ike, said projecting support being integralpwith the tieplate and formed by the metal displaced in producing the opening in the tie-plate for as specified.

JOI N E. MUHLFELD. Witnesses:

W: M. (ELEMENTS, J. F. PEACH.

ack of the spike and side Walls 

